This is what has happened- according to BBC, DMail and Gurdian.
Oct 2019 a Turkish millionairess ,Ms Isbilen, was told by a financial advisor (friend of Prince Andrew)called Selmen Turk to transfer £750,000 from her private bank, Hampden's Bank, to Andrew's personal bank account at Coutt's . She says she was told by him it was 'for help Andrew gave in getting her a British passport' . She was told normally the charge would be £2 million but if she gave the money as a gift it would be much cheaper. She marked it 'wedding gift' after her advisor said he had discussed it with Andrew.
Her banker at Hampden's , Stephen Buckland, questioned this amount - doing his due diligence and spoke first to Selmen Turk, and said Hampden's was uncomfortable in transferring such a large amount of money into a private account and needed to understand why it was so large and what it was for. Turk confirmed it was 'for the wedding costs for Beatrice's wedding' and said to speak to Andrew's Private Secretary, Amanda Thirsk (who also is involved in Pitch at the Palace) .
Buckland did so and expressed the same concerns he had to Turk. Thirsk confirmed it was 'a gift for the wedding' rather than a 'wedding gift' but said it was surely up to Beatrice and her family what they did with it once they had it.
The bank recorded transcripts of both calls on the basis that they were scrutinising this very large amount of money apparently being given to a British Prince by a Turkish national.
The money was transferred to Andrew's private bank account in Oct 2019.
In addition further £350,000 has been transferred to him over several payments and to Sarah Ferguson (£250,000+) and Beatrice and Eugenie (smaller amounts). This has never been returned to the Ms Isbilen.
When Ms Isbilen began to feel her advisor, Selmen Turk, had taken advantage of her and mis-used her money, she involved her lawyers. She told the High Court her money had been ‘dishonestly misappropriated’ by Mr Turk, an allegation he denies. They wrote to Andrew in March 2021- he had had the money for 18 months by then- asking questions about his receipt of this money (£750,000) and for what purpose he accepted it. He did not reply to any of the questions asked by the lawyers but the money was re-imbursed, to her account from his, within days of him receiving the letter.
The money given to him, Ferguson and the two girls (£575,000+) has not been returned.
A link has been made to Selmen Turk's business pitch at the palace- he was named winner and the transfer of £750,000 was made directly to Andrew within days of that win.
Andrew's Private Secretary, Amanda Thirsk told the D Mail, she could not remember the call from Stephen Buckland. She added: ‘As a person of integrity, I would not be involved in anything improper.’ Oddly, it happened on the day of Andrew's disastrous BBC interview with Emily Maitliss.
The further series of payments totalling £350,000 made to the Yorks were made from a company named Alphabet. Mrs Isbilen’s solicitor told the High Court in his affidavit there was ‘strong evidence’ the firm was a ‘fraudulent and covert front used by Mr Turk...to make payments to persons associated with him. Those persons include HRH Prince Andrew [and] Sarah, Duchess of York’. The High court was told the Alphabet transactions were consistent with a pattern of ‘apparent money laundering activity by Mr Turk' and ‘The Alphabet disclosure shows that further transfers of up to £350,000, in regular instalments and in many instances under the reference TK WEDDING or TK WED, were made to Prince Andrew.’
Sarah Ferguson received ‘at least’ £225,000 from the Alphabet account, the affidavit states. 'At least £225,000 was transferred to an account in the name of DUCHESS OF YORK out of the Alphabet account, again in regular instalments.’
Eugenie received at least £25,000 in two payments- she claims it was for catering for a birthday party for her mother.
Family who do absolutely nothing but trade off their name and status appear to receive huge sums of money from almost strangers for some reason.
It stinks.
I have never been anti-royalist but I am now. It's disgusting.